Bulgaria is the poorest country in the EU right now but when it comes to prom, they spare no expense. The average prom dress costs more than the annual income of an average Bulgarian family. The girls dress like flamboyant street walkers because prom is viewed more as a celebration of adulthood than a farewell to school.

The Vagabond interviewed one of the prom girl's mothers, who justified the cost:

“When my daughter grows up, she may get married two or three times and so have different wedding receptions. But the prom happens just once in a lifetime."